Easy MSD question

JohnJL · 02:30 AM

On an 82 Jap SC, I have only one wire connector (there is no actual wire connected, just what looks like a male spade connector) coming from my distributor. I am not running the CD box, just the MSD box, vibration coil and tach adaptor.

All the MSD diagrams call for the green and violet connections on the MSD 6 box to go to the distributor...but I only have 1 connection on the distributow. What's the right connection?

I did search and follow this :Green wire SC-ignition question

Sounds like that connector is supposed to have a green coax cable connection?

My apologies, I am assembling from scratch...and the manuals and wayne's books and this forum...

thanks all

Howard M · 02-16-2006, 04:31 AM

From memory, the MSD requires the signal from the distributor to trigger it, therefore the MSD input is the output wire from the distributor. Simply attach the MSD "distributor wire" to that wire (or spade connector) on your distibutor. There's no wire on the distributor spade connector now? Is the car running?

Your original distrbutor wire also provides the signal for the tach, so if you don't disconnect the wire to the tach, and don't use the MSD "tach" wire, you may not need the tach adapter.

Eagledriver · 02-16-2006, 10:45 AM

Hijacking this thread for similar question. The purple and green wires on the MSD hook up to the green/black coax on the distributor on my 78 SC. Which way do they hook up? Green to green or purple to green?

-Andy

JohnJL · 02-16-2006, 11:00 AM

Thanks Howard, but it seems a bit more comples....no, I am building from scratch.

I have no wires connected from the distributor.

Andy is correct in that MSD wants 2 connections.

Can anyone provide more detail on the distributor connections necessary? And help Andy with which-color-to-which?

vash · vash's Garage

Front row left to right
1) System Ground = Black coil wire
2) Tachometer Signal = Black wire from left end of MSD unit
3) Signal Ground (green
wire shield) = Purple wire

Back row left to right
4 Coil Hot +12 volts = Orange coil wire
5) Switched +12 volts = small Red wire
6) Signal Pos. (green
wire center conductor) = Green wire

Heavy red wire is +12 volts from the starter terminal
Heavy black wire is ground

FrayAdjacent911 · 02-16-2006, 01:07 PM

IIRC, the two wires are for different types of distributors. I.e, you only use one of them.

The instructions for the 6AL on MSD's site explain this.

JohnJL · 02-16-2006, 02:21 PM

Matt, we are definately off the MSD page here...

Vash, i think you got it. What "rows" are you referring to tho...

Howard M · 02-16-2006, 02:49 PM

Matt is correct. The MSD comes with two input wires (the colors of which I forget). One is for a magnetic pickoff in the distributor, the other is for conventional points. The input wire not used is left...unused. It is a good suggestion to refer to the information on the MSD web site.

JohnJL · 02-16-2006, 05:24 PM

Matt, Howard, thanks for your help but I think the MSD site says otherwise...here's the link to the user manual:

http://www.msdignition.com/pdf/6%20series/6series.pdf

On the bottom of page 5, it says

"Violet
and Green
(Magnetic
Pickup
Connector)

These wires are routed together in one harness to form the Magnetic Pickup connector. The connector plugs directly into an MSD Distributor or Crank Trigger. It will also connect to factory magnetic pickups or other aftermarket pickups. The Violet wire is positive (+) and the Green is negative (-). When these wires are used, the White wire is not."

The missing link for me here was that my distributor had no wire connections on it. I have scavenged one of the green shielded wires from a spare engine. I think Vash is waying that the violet MSD wire goes to the inner core wire on the distributor, and the green MSD wire goes to the distributor's outer shield. That seems correct from the documentation, but we'll see when I try to start up (and I've sure there will be 5 other things potentially going wrong at the same time!)